Vivian Olsen - Artist Feature

The Bumpy Road to Here

"Ebony and Ivory"   Pastel

Vivian is inspired by Nature and aided by imagination  - two ingredients which combine to create paintings that seem to come alive and glow with vibrancy and light. Observing the wildlife around her has always been her passion and enables her to paint expressive portraits of wild animals, especially birds.

With both a Master’s in Science-Biology and an Art Degree, from New Mexico Tech University in Socorro, N.M.   she is well-equipped to be the professional wildlife artist she has been for 30 years, as well as becoming a secondary high school art teacher. All through her teaching career she continued pursuing painting and exhibiting her paintings and etchings. 

"Sunset Cranes"  Oil

 To further her knowledge of painting she has attended many art workshops with a number of established artists, including George Post, Nita Engle, Zolten Szabo, Albert Handell, Steven Quiller, Richard McKinley, Terry Isaac, Camille Pzewodek, and Dawn Emerson. She traveled during her summer vacations taking classes and painting in France, Italy, Spain, and China. 

Over the years she has garnered awards from the Sandhill Crane Festival in CA., the Festival of Cranes in N.M., the Governor’s Gallery Invitational Exhibit of Santa Fe, N.M., and best of Show at NM Macey Center’s 1st Annual Open Exhibition.  She is also a signature member of the New Mexico Watercolor Society. She is represented in Eagle Crest, Oregon at Silver Leaf Cafe and at the Tumalo Art Works Gallery in Tumalo, Oregon.

View her website at: www.vivianolsen.com      

                                    and blog:  http://viviano-artist.blogspot.com